Cause and Effects
by SuGaRnSpIcE4222
Summary: Their niece--their nephew---One date, one night, two people, one mistake, and everyone's lives changed forever. Rated M just in case, but more likely a "T" rated fic.
1. One night stand

_Disclaimer: I don't own. If I did, I'd be rich. The only characters I own are those with names that I've clearly made up…_

Okay, so instead of setting the relationships via relatives here in the story, which I could do, I'm going to do it like this. The other way would be too hard.

Teresa is Alex's sister's daughter and Bobby's brother's daughter. Alex and Bobby pretty much raised Teresa, from the time she was little. Alex and Bobby will eventually become an Item. Lucas is Olivia's brother's son, and Elliot's sister's son. Olivia and Elliot are somewhat of an item, but only behind closed doors.

SL: _One date, one night, two people, one mistake, and everyone's lives change forever_

---

"I don't really want to go out with him" Teresa argued relentlessly with her aunt, trying out different outfits.

"He's a really nice guy; even your uncle Bobby thinks so. Besides, he's the nephew of a couple of good cops in SVU."

"Great, the rape squad." Teresa rolled her eyes; she hated blind dates and couldn't, for the life of her, figure out why her aunt and uncle were always trying to fix her up with 'suitable young men?' Why couldn't they themselves just hook up; they'd been partners for years, trusted each other immensely, cared a great deal about one another—it was written in the stars. But no, her aunt still mourned the death of her uncle Joe; no matter how many times the family told her to move on. And her uncle was….different, to put it nicely. At best, couldn't they just ignore her entirely, like her parents did? Nope; still, she couldn't be that lucky—to them, that would be like ignoring their child.

"Teresa he is a very lovely young man. You'll have a good time, I promise" Alex looked her flat in the eyes; 'eyes meant no lies,' according to her aunt.

"Fine, but if I don't like him after an hour into it, which I probably wont, I'll be calling for back up"

"My cells always on for you" Alex had a genuine smile plastered on her face.

"Yeah, it better be" Teresa grumbled before going in the bathroom to fix her hair.

"Tweety has it SO easy around here" She mumbled childishly to herself.

---

"So what should I say to her?" Lucas was putting up a multitude of ties to his shirt, trying to figure out which one accented his outfit of choice best. Elliot picked out the best fit and handed it to his nephew, setting the others back on the hanger.

"Just be yourself; chicks dig an honest man" Elliot helped Lucas adjust his tie appropriately, and then smiled at him in the mirror. "Awesome."

"Since when did you start saying things like chicks and dig in the same sentence?" Lucas turned to face his uncle, raising his eyebrows in a suspicious manner. "Aunt Liv is totally a bad influence on you."

"Your aunt is… well, she's different" Elliot said; but that's all he would say on the subject.

"I'm sorta glad you guys hooked up. I mean I guess I always knew you would, but for a while there deep down I had my doubts. Don't get me wrong, Aunt Kathy was great but things were shaky for so long"

"When did you get to be such an expert?"

"I'm 19, Uncle El, not 12. I've learned to be a little more observant."

"Well knock it off, it's not healthy" Elliot wasn't sure he liked the new and improved Lucas; the 'observant' one, who gave out relationship advice. Then again, if something was new, it certainly wasn't improved, there'd never been another like it, so Elliot figured the boy had always been this intelligent and observant and he had somehow just missed it.

---

Dinner between the young adults was quiet and awkward. Teresa had settled on a light green dress which accentuated her curves and legs perfectly. They ate at a cute little Italian diner, about 10 minutes from the precinct. Elliot had suggested it, and the weather was perfect for a little outdoor dining with some soothing music.

After dinner, Lucas invited Teresa to his place for a little dessert and a cup of coffee; normally she would have declined, but the long walk back to her place was more than she could bear without sugar and caffeine. Hesitantly, she gave in, and they headed back to his place.

"So this is it" He said, opening the door to the tiny studio apartment.

"Cozy" Teresa said, almost sarcastically. She was used to dating guys with… well, much bigger places. Lucas was different, though, she could tell that from the start.

He handed her a plate with an Italian dessert on it, following the theme of the night's dinner, and then a small glass of champagne. He had to be careful how much he gave her; they were both still under aged and came from a long line of cops on each side of their families.

"Thank you" Teresa drank up, grateful for the liquor to hide her uncomfortable stance.

"You're welcome. So tell me about yourself…" Lucas began…and as the night dragged on, they got to know a little more about each other than either one had bargained for.

---

_3 months pass _

"Look, I don't know what we're going to do, but we have to do something." Three months had passed since Teresa and Lucas had their first date; since then they'd been more like casual friends, secretly pining for each other. But Lucas was pompous and could be quite arrogant at times- the kind of man Teresa said she'd never date. And Teresa… well, she could be a little too nice at times-the good girl Lucas could never picture himself with.

"Alright, well are you sure about it?"

"It's been three months since we… ya know, hooked up, I haven't gotten a period, I've been feeling sick yesterday, I peed on a stick, and oh yeah, the doctor confirmed it. Yes, I'm sure" Teresa irritably turned the other way; how could it have been possible for her not to be sure she was pregnant? Or any woman, for that matter?

"Well then what do you want to do?" The choice was, of course, Teresa's. She was the mother and whatever she decided, Lucas was stuck with. The baby had to have been his; Teresa wasn't usually the kind to have sex with no strings attached; he could tell that just in the way their bodies moved together when they made love.

"It's our fault and out mistake. I want to keep the baby… of course; I also want to finish up college. I don't know, I'm so confused."

"Whatever you decide to do is fine with me" Lucas tried to comfort her; there wasn't much else she needed his help on-in fact, he'd helped enough.

Teresa let out a deep breath. "Alright, then I want to keep it. After all, this baby is as much a part of the people I love as it is me. And the same goes for you." The decision was an even easier one to make than she thought it would be, but still, she couldn't help but nervously rub her stomach.

----

"Why are we here?" Elliot walked in, afraid something serious had happened. "Lucas said it was urgent."

"Don't worry, everyone is fine, but it is urgent" Lucas took his spot at the dinner table beside Teresa. They'd called their closest relatives over for dinner that night so they could break the news to the family; after all, if they were going to do this, be parents, they were going to need support from the ones they loved the most.

"Teresa will be please tell me what is going on before I have a heart attack?" Her uncle Bobby looked flushed under the eyes.

"Just wait till everyone gets settled in and then we can all talk." Teresa looked at her uncle and then to the rest of the people standing in her living room. Tonight wasn't going to be a fun night, she knew that for sure.

Lucas had ordered in Chinese in order to break the news; he'd been too tired to cook a home cooked meal, and plus, what detective DOESN"T eat Chinese food?" He looked around the table but found no answers.

"Lucas, Teresa, enough of this already! Will you please tell us what is going on so we can get it over with?!"

Teresa sighed, inhaling deeply and resting her left hand on her stomach. "I'm pregnant" She told them, then sat down for a normal family dinner.


	2. Revelations

_Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate reviews; what author can thrive without them? ___

_Disclaimer: I still don't own. I'll letcha know if the occasion ever arises though ___

---

Forks and chopsticks dropped on plates across the table. "You're what?" Alex's stare was cold and stone-like.

"I said I'm pregnant. Can someone please pass the salt?" Teresa didn't dare take her eyes off her plate.

Shocked, Olivia passed the salt. "What do you mean you're pregnant?"

"I mean I'm going to have a baby! I'm going to be a mommy; he's going to be a daddy! We're going to have a child; it's going to be ours. You two will be great aunts; you two will be great uncles" She looked at all the relatives in the room, their eyes planted firmly on her and Lucas; and suddenly, she felt more sick than she had in three months. "Excuse me please" She stood, running to the bathroom and almost taking the table cloth with her.

"I'd better check on her…" Lucas stood, arising to the occasion, but Alex firmly put her hand in the air.

"I think you've done quite enough for one night. I'll go"

"Hey it takes two to tango" Elliot was furious with his nephew, yes, but putting the blame solely on him was the wrong way of going about things.

"Oh and believe me, I know all of this" Alex's eyes were filled with fire as she headed to the bathroom to find her niece.

---

"I already know what you're going to say" Teresa crossed the room, looking for a Tylenol and dabbing her mouth with a damp washcloth as she did so.

"Oh I don't think you do, Teresa. You have your whole life ahead of you! What on earth makes you think you can be a mother at this point in your life?!" Disappointment seeped through Alex's tone of voice.

"Mom did it. So can I" She shrugged her shoulders, refusing to look her aunt in the eyes.

"Exactly my point; your mother was a young mother who had a baby and got married too soon in life. Your uncle Joe, Uncle Bobby, and I ended up raising you. Do you really want to do that to yourself?"

"Oh, we're not going to get married, don't worry"

Alex grabbed her left arm and slid down onto the bed. "Oh Teresa, please stop talking before you give me a heart attack."

Teresa smiled slightly and then sat down next to her aunt, laying her head on her shoulder. "Look, I'm not saying this will be easy, but I'm not mom, or dad. I can do this… I may need a little help along the way, and so will Lucas, but what parents don't? This child is mine and Lucas' responsibility—it is our fault and our fault entirely and we're willing to step up and do what it takes to make up for it. But I will **not** get rid of it."

Alex sighed deeply. "Alright, if you're sure that's what you want to do, I'll stand by you. But this baby is yours… and yours alone. I'll do whatever I can to help you, but don't forget it's your responsibility. Now…are you sure you don't want to get married?" Her eyes were pleading; they should get married, it was the right thing to do.

"Aunt Alex, I'd rather die. I mean I'm only 18!"

Alex glared at the young girl, her words evident without presenting any sound.

"You're right, bad example." She smiled at her aunt and kissed her cheek. "Maybe when the time is right we'll get married… but for right now, it's best for everyone, including the baby, if we keep things the way they are."

Alex shrugged her shoulders and exhaled. "Alright, I guess you know what's best"

"Thank you" Teresa said, before standing to return to the living room.

----

Robert Goren hardly ever smoked these days; he was what you would call a 'stress' smoker. He grabbed a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket—he had the feeling he'd need them—and lit up the end of the cigarette, watching intimately the fire on the tip. It always amazed him how such a tiny thing could hold so much energy, and yet, be relatively harmless. Sure, the contents of the cigarette could kill you, but the fire at the end seemed to be your friend… which was a first for fire. Sucking in deeply, he inhaled his first puff… then two….then three…

----

"Look, I understand you're 19, you're a guy, you have all these friends, and all these urges…but what happened to our talk about condoms?!" Olivia sat on the living room couch less than two inches from her nephew.

_Urges_…that word…. Was it possible for the dad to have morning sickness too? Because he certainly felt nauseous. "Aunt Liv…can we not talk about me…urges?"

"You're old enough to be a parent; you should be mature enough to talk about your urges. I've told you time and time again if you want to have sex, fine, do it; but always make sure the woman wants it too, you're doing it in a safe environment, and YOU'RE USING PROTECTION!" She smacked him once upside the head for his lack of the latter.

"Look it was ONE time" Not his best argument.

"It only takes one time!" Elliot shouted at him from his right.

"Look, we made a mistake but this baby… it won't be a mistake. I'm going to be a good father, I promise."

"Really now? How do you plan on finishing up school? How do you plan on providing for your family? Do you plan on marrying Teresa? Can you promise to be faithful to her for the rest of your life—don't forget, you're only 19"

"Teresa doesn't want to get married. The baby isn't due until sometime in late October; by then classes will have finished up and I can look for a job."

"You idiot, babies need things even in the womb! And what about Teresa? She hasn't even started college yet." It took everything Olivia had not to whack him one more time upside the head.

"I hadn't thought about that…" He looked down, confused about the whole situation again.

"You're training to be a cop; that job comes number 1 in your life… with a baby I just don't see how it's going to work" Olivia softened, setting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Could you do it?" Lucas looked at her smack in the eyes, emotion evident for the first time.

"Do what?" She hadn't a clue what he was talking about.

"Could you make a baby-mistakenly or not- and just get rid of it like it was last nights dinner?"

Olivia stumbled for her words, looking over at Elliot. He hadn't the right answer, either. "N-no. No I guess I couldn't."

"Then you see how we'll make this work. It's not just apart of me, you know, it's apart of dad" He set his hand on her shoulder, aware that memories of her little brother were flowing fresh through her mind. "And of mom" He looked over at Elliot—he hated to bring up his mother; she'd died so young and Elliot had been so close to her. He'd vowed to look after Lucas no matter what, and he kept up his end of the deal.

"Yeah" Elliot began quietly, "I guess we see how." He'd admitted to helping him in so many words, and Lucas' eyes brightened.


	3. Mother and Daughter

_Disclaimer:: Nope, still poor, don't own. _

_Thanks for the reviews; I really appreciate them! _

_Note: This chapter is set around "Amends" _

_---_

Two more months had gone by; two long, horrible months of morning sickness, absurd cravings, and weight gain.

Things had been difficult lately; Alex was constantly worn from the case. She wanted to nail the bastard who shot Joe's partner; but more importantly, she wanted to believe they already had the _bastard_ who killed Joe in cold blood. Why couldn't Bobby just accept that the guy they had in custody, the guy who was serving a life sentence, was the one who killed Joe? Who cares if he says he doesn't smoke cigarettes? He was a murderer—it wasn't as though he was going to admit to putting his lips on the one thing that stood between him and freedom.

_"This isn't one of your puzzles, Bobby, this is my life!" _She had snapped, tears threatening to deceive her. She knew deep down, though, that he was only looking out for her. He always only looked out for her; still, she feared this intrusion on her private life would somehow tear them apart. Now, here she sat in the back of the warehouse where all old evidence was kept, holding the blood shirt Joe died in close to her heart, tears streaming down her cheeks and soft sobs escaping her lips.

"Aunt Alex?" Teresa quietly tip toed towards her aunt.

Alex inhaled, wiping the tears off her cheeks quickly, but she couldn't hide her sadness from her niece- they were like mother and daughter; if anyone knew her, it was Teresa.

"You're not supposed to be in here, Sweetie. Go back out there before you trip on something in here and get hurt. Wait-why are you here, anyways?"

"Uncle Bobby called me; he said something about needing to check up on a lead and he was worried about you. He thought you could use a friend"

"Well, don't worry, I'm fine. He should have never called you" She pushed her away, but she didn't know why.

"I'm not going anywhere. You're like-like my mom. You need me, and I need you. It's kinda nice knowing you need me sometimes as much as I've needed you throughout the years."

"You're my kid—I don't care what anyone says—you're supposed to need me. It's not supposed to be the other way around"

'_You're my kid'_ Those three words brightened up Teresa's day. She'd always wanted her aunt to think of her like that… and deep down she knew she did, but hearing the words confirmed it in that special place in her heart. "We're both adults not, Aunt Alex, and whoever said big girls don't cry should be shot. Big girls do cry; I cry…you cry, Grandma even cries. It's a part of life. And sometimes we just have to let people in, more so when we want to push them out the most"

Alex knew where this was going, and although she didn't want to hear it, she shut up and listened.

"I know how you feel about Uncle Bobby. He feels the same way you know"

"I'm married, Teresa" Alex reminded her.

"You're a widow. Uncle Joe loved you with everything he had, but he's gone, Aunt Alex. He knows how much you love him but he would want you to be happy. He wants to know that you're being taken care of so that he can rest"

"It's not that simple, Teresa" Teresa had never lost someone so close to her before; Alex and Joe had made sure to shelter her throughout her life, and Bobby did a good job of sheltering her as well.

"It may not be that simple but it's also not as hard as you make it out to be. Just promise me you'll think about it. Maybe put on a dress and go out once in a while. Let your hair loose-remember the way you used to feel about life. Life's not all about solving murders and being a mother, ya know"

"It is for me." Alex looked her niece in the eyes; she and Joe should have adopted her when they had the chance. "Now go wait for me outside; I don't want you to get hurt, I'll be out there in a minute" She kissed her niece's forehead gently.

"No, it isn't. You need to live; that's why you were given life… Uncle Joe wants you to be happy. And I'm not going anywhere until you promise me that you will spend the evening with me. A mother/daughter day, just the two of us"

Alex smiled big; that was the one thing she always enjoyed, no matter what the mood or what the case. "Of course; now go wait outside." She kissed her niece's head and then again pushed her towards the door. '

Gathering the evidence needed at the precinct, she shoved the bag in her purse and then looked over the rest of the contents; Joe's badge, his shirt, a shell casing- Alex took a deep breath, eyeing each piece as though it told its own story. She closed her eyes and tried to hear the sound of his laugh; tried to put him near her when she knew he wasn't. She opened her eyes and stumbled back, afraid of what stood before her.

"Joe?" She closed her eyes and rubbed them-this had to be an allusion.

"Stop blaming yourself, Alex. My death wasn't your fault"

"Yes it was, Joe. You should have been home with me that night. You should have been home tucking Teresa in to bed; instead we had an argument and you headed back to work for some overtime. I'm so sorry. I love you, please come back to me."

"If I could come back to you, I would, in a heartbeat. You need to believe that, Alex. But I can't. My death wasn't your fault; it would have happened anyways-it was what's supposed to happen. You need to forgive yourself in order to move on. This Goren character, do you care for him?"

Alex looked away; how could she deceive her dead husband, and right to his face?

"It's alright, Alex. I understand. Go-be with him. Be happy. We had a wonderful life together, Alex, and I'm thankful for every minute of it I got to share with you, and with Teresa. You tell her that I said she's going to be an amazing mother—and that I'm always looking over you guys. Focus on being an aunt, a mother, a grandmother-whatever it is that you want to be-but be happy while doing it. I'll take care of the rest"

A tear slipped down Alex's porcelain cheek; she longed to kiss him, just one last time. She longed to feel his warm flesh against hers, holding her, kissing her, loving her. And she was taken by surprise when his dead kiss was just as special and magical as his live one.

---

"I'm sorry; I don't normally cry at this part in the movie, it's just these damn hormones!" Teresa sat up and wiped her eyes dry, blowing her runny nose.

Alex smiled and handed her another tissue. "It's alright, sweetie. I know, it happens."

Teresa gratefully grabbed the tissues. "Thanks," she whispered, ashamed of herself for overreacting.

"It's alright. You don't need to feel bad" She stroked the hair out of Teresa's damp face.

Teresa smiled and leaned against her. Things had changed; life was scarier. The thought of being a mother in just a few short months was so surreal.

"Ya know, its like- I have this life inside me. And it's mine—but it's not mine. And it depends on me for its survival… and just one wrong move could screw things up forever. What if I can't do this?"

"Scared?" Alex cocked one eyebrow up.

"No, I'm rehearsing for a play." Teresa rolled her eyes sarcastically.

"Sweetie, you are going to make the best mother out there, trust me. And you'll have my help, and Uncle Bobby's help, and the help of Lucas and his family. And don't forget, Uncle Joe will be watching over us all from above" Alex assured, wrapping her strong arms around the young woman's frame. She pulled her close, and Teresa laid her head down on her chest like she did when she was younger and had a nightmare.

"Just sleep now. Things will all be okay… you'll see. You can stay here with me, and I'll help you make everything all better."

Teresa yawned, having a hard time now keeping her eyes open. "I love you…. Mom"

A single tear of happiness slid down Alex's eye- she'd never wanted anything more in her entire life than to hear someone call her mother-and mean it. "I love you too"


	4. Mother and Son

_Disclaimer: I wish I owned, but I totally don't. Sorry. Reviews are appreciated very much. For those who do, thank you. For those who don't- well, thank you for reading lol. _

_---_

"I'm not sure WHAT to get for the baby's nursery at my place" Lucas sorted through what seemed to be an endless pile of baby items at the baby 'GAP'.

"Well is it going to be a boy, or a girl?" Olivia asked, looking at color swatches for the walls. Everyone knew that you had to paint the walls BEFORE you could fill the room.

"I don't know. Teresa doesn't want to find out. She wants to be surprised."

"So what are you guys going to do about naming?" Olivia could never understand why someone would want to wait nine months to find out if they were going to have a son or a daughter; it only made planning so much harder than it had to be.

"Well we're picking out uni-gender names, and names for boys and names for girls. Whatever the baby is, I'll be fine, just as long as it's happy."

"You SO want a son" Olivia smiled, playfully whacking her nephew on the shoulder.

"Well I guess it couldn't hurt" Lucas let a smile escape his lips, but only for a second.

"Why don't you paint the room a light yellow? That's a uni-gender color, and it goes good with everything?" Olivia shrugged, holding up four or five different swatches of yellow paint cards.

"I guess so" Lucas shrugged; he knew nothing about decorating-but then, what man did?

"You'll love it. I'll help you, and so will your uncle Elliot"

"Thanks. You guys have been awesome" Lucas smiled and briefly hugged his aunt.

"Which brings me to my next point," Olivia began cautiously, "are you sure you want to have this baby?"

"Teresa is determined to have this baby no matter what. I'm the baby's father; I HAVE to stand by her. Besides, like I said, it's going to be a part of both of us; ALL of us, really. "

"Alright, alright; I was just making sure. I know how teenage boys can be."

"I'm SO not a teenage boy."

"You SO are. If you weren't, you wouldn't have a girlfriend and a baby on the way" Olivia reminded him. The only time she saw young fathers is when they happened to be teenagers.

"Things have changed" He sat down on the tiniest bench he'd ever seen; how was ANYONE supposed to fit in this?! "I'm worried," he began, "I mean Teresa already has the nursery done for her room- shouldn't I have mine done too?"

"Just because she has the nursery done already doesn't mean a thing. She's 18, and has nothing to do with her time right now. Besides, she's the mother, it's something to expect."

"Still, it's just, I'm worried. It would be different if we were getting a puppy, but we're having a baby. Its going to depend on us for over 18 years and everything we do will affect its future."

"Your uncle and I will help you throughout the years; and besides, you'll have Teresa and her family. There's still time to change your mind about this, though"

"She's 5 months pregnant!" Lucas exclaimed, "There is no time for anything but preparing to be a parent."

"Alright; I just want to make sure you're okay with all of this. Don't forget, as your guardian my job is to you."

"I know, Aunt Liv, but I want this baby too. I helped make it, why shouldn't I want it?" He looked over at a newborn bathing set and put it in his basket.

"You know how to give a baby a bath?" Olivia cocked one eyebrow.

"No but I was hoping you did"

Olivia laughed and shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Alright, I think I remember how to."

Lucas smiled and hugged his Aunt; the hug took her by surprise- he rarely ever showed any affection to his auntie and uncle anymore.

"How about I buy us lunch?" Lucas shrugged and took the cart up to the register. Olivia grabbed his shirt.

"Honey you need a lot more than just this for a baby"

Lucas sighed; he never thought babies cost so much! "Alright well what else do we need?"

"Well you need padding for the changing table, you need a changing table, you need bedding for the crib, you need some stuffed animals, you need a baby monitor, you need some clothes, you need some bottles and diapers, you need a little towel for him or her, some booties, some formula…"

"Well Teresa plans on breast feeding, and she's buying clothes so he can just have some packed for when he comes to stay the weekend with me"

"Nope, sorry sweetie; he needs clothes for your house too. What if you spill something on him? He's going to need extra, just in case. And do you lactate? I don't think so. If you need more formula you can't expect the mother to come and feed him for 20 or 30 minutes and then leave again."

Lucas inhaled deeply as his wallet exhaled deeply. "Alright alright, you got me."

"Oh and don't forget a diaper bag. He's going to need that too. Oh and you'll probably need to baby proof the house for when he starts to crawl."

"That's not for months after he's born though!'

"You'd be surprised how fast the time flies. It was just yesterday I was helping your dad change your disgusting diaper."

"Hey, hey lets leave my disgusting diapers out of this" Lucas joked.

"But you were just SO cute!" Olivia joked, pinching his cheeks to add to it.

"I know. We can only hope my kids take after me and not you and Uncle El" He raised his eyebrows, a smug grin on his face.

"Your kids would be blessed if they took after me; not sure about your uncle though. I think they'd be safer taking after Yeti" Olivia teased

"Yeah you might be right." Lucas mumbled quietly; he was enthralled in a baby book, and decided he'd better get it- he had no clue about raising children and wondered how Teresa might feel. After all, she would be the mother, the primary caregiver; the baby would live with her full time and come see him only on the weekends. He thought maybe he oughta' pick one up for her, too, so he threw a second one in the basket.

"So have you guys thought of any names yet for the baby?" Olivia smiled at the book; she'd never seen Lucas so into something in his entire life.

"Well I don't know. Like I said, we don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet, but I think Teresa has some ideas what she wants to name the baby. I think I'm going to let her choose the first and middle; the baby is getting my last name, and besides, she's the one giving birth."

"Yeah, I guess that's a good way to look at it. But don't forget, I'm sure she wants your undivided attention for this baby too. It's a big responsibility."

"I know, don't worry; everything will be okay. We'll have our ups and our downs, just like every other parent, but we'll make it through."

Olivia nodded; she was sure they would. "So do you think you guys will ever get married?"

"I don't know. To be honest, I hope so. I really like Teresa a lot, and it would be the best thing for the baby, I think, but she doesn't think so."

"Do you know why she feels that way?"

"I don't know; maybe it's that fear of commitment thing that Dr. Huang was talking about the other day to you and Uncle El"

"He wasn't talking just to us ya know… he was talking to everyone."

"When are you gunna finally give it up? He was totally talking to you two" Lucas rolled his eyes and paid the cashier for all the baby items he and his aunt had picked up for the nursery.


	5. Runaway Loves

_Disclaimer: I sure don't own SVU…if anyone knows how I could please lemme know. _

_Note: Elliot and Olivia are "Sort of" together. They're like a closet couple because of Fraternization rules. Bobby and Alex like each other but haven't yet started something. _

_Thank you for the reviews, I really appreciate them. They're so my ovaltine _

---

The hot sun annoyingly beat down onto Teresa's arms. She hated the company picnics that the precincts put together each year; she hated the gathering of people, the "mingling", the 'oh aren't you so and so's'; she flat out hated the entire event. And every year her aunt and uncle dragged her.

"Teresa, come over here. I'd like you to meet a good friend of mine" Alex waved her over, a hot dog in one hand and her other hand in the air.

"Sure" She sighed and excused herself from the people she was already talking to and walked up to her aunt and her aunt's friend.

"Jeremy, I'd like you to meet my niece, Teresa. Mmhmm, this is the one I raised" Alex was always so proud of Teresa; proud to be her aunt, proud to be her guardian, proud to be her _mother._

Teresa extended her right hand and shook the man's hand. "Very nice to meet you" She told him, smiling fake.

"Jeremy has a son about your age" Alex's eyes were twinkling.

"Really? And does he have a grandson about to be born too? Maybe him and my child can have a play date in a few months" Teresa smiled cockily, nodded at the guy once more and then walked off.

Alex, of course, followed her niece. "What the hell was that? I'm only trying to make you happy"

"I am happy; I'm happy with Uncle Bobby, with the baby, with you. I don't want anything to change"

"It's too late for that, Teresa, and if you're not going to be with the baby's father you at least need a man around the house"

"I have Uncle Bobby. Besides, any man going to be around this child is going to be related or going to be Lucas. I don't want a man right now. I want to concentrate on having this baby, being a parent, and finishing college."

Alex sighed deeply; she was always so damn stubborn! "Alright, if you're sure that's what you want. I've been thinking though, if you're not going to be with a man, you should at least live with me or your uncle. You're going to need an extra pair of hands around to help with the baby; we can turn Uncle Joe's old office into the nursery and you can switch around your old room to make it look more mature."

Teresa sighed; her aunt made sense; it would be hard to raise a baby alone and finish up college.

"Alright, I guess so. But the minute I finish college and get a job I'm going to move back out."

Alex smiled and nodded. "If that's what you want."

"It is" Teresa smiled slightly. "Oh and Aunt Alex?"

"Yes sweetie?"

"Thank you. I love you; I don't tell you nearly enough that I love you…"

"I know you do, bumblebee" That had always been her nickname for Teresa.

Teresa smiled at her aunt, and went back to mingling with all of her aunt's friends.

---

"I hate these things" Lucas said, swatting a fly away from his cheeseburger.

"How can you hate something that happens like once a year?" Olivia rolled her eyes at her nephew, passing along the ketchup to him.

"Thanks" Lucas sarcastically took the ketchup, pretending as though he was having the time of his life.

"Can't you at least TRY to have a good time?" Elliot never could figure out why he hated this picnic so much

"No. I don't like trying these things. I've tried 19 years, it isn't workin' anymore." Lucas felt bad; he didn't want to ruin their time- they worked so hard, they deserved this picnic in their honor. On the same token though, Teresa came from a family of cops, and they would be here too, meaning so would she. He couldn't help but wonder what she was doing at that very minute; he loved her, and this was the first girl he wasn't afraid to admit that about.

"Teresa's over there" Olivia pointed with her fork. "I bet that'll brighten up your spirits"

"Maybe it will" Lucas grinned from ear to ear. He got up and smoothly walked over to her and her aunt, wrapping an arm around her. She looked over at him with flaming eyes, dying to know who dared touch her. She was almost 6 months pregnant, swollen, and hadn't seen her feet in almost two months- she was not a very happy camper.

"Wanna get out of here?" He whispered into her ear.

"More than anything" She whispered back, never letting the smile fade from her face. She was a lot better at pretending than he was, and if they're child took after her, he knew they'd be screwed.

"Hey, Aunt Alex?" Teresa called after her aunt

"Yes sweetie?" Alex turned to face her niece.

"I'm going to head back to the table so I can get a little more something to eat. I'm starved."

"Alright; I'll be right here if you need anything"

"Thanks" Teresa kissed her Aunt's cheek before sneaking off with the father of her child.

---

"So…where are we going?" Teresa asked from the passenger seat

"I was thinking central park. Maybe a carriage ride or lunch or something; Or… anything you want to do"

"I want to do something crazy; something I'd never in a million years think of doing. But at 5 and a half months pregnant, I'm kind of limited on what I can and can not do"

"Yeah I guess I can see why you'd be a bit limited" He tried not to look at her stomach, but couldn't help it.

Teresa glared at him. "Hey it's your fault too, ya know"

"I never said it wasn't. In fact, it's more my fault than yours. I'm willing to take full responsibility" He smiled warmly and stroked the small of her back in comforting circles.

"Well…thank you…I guess" She was completely confused; he had just taken complete responsibility for the whole mess without even trying to argue with her first. What did he want?

"You know… I still think we should get married."

"If we got married right now it would be for all the wrong reasons" Teresa said firmly.

"The baby would be all the wrong reasons?" He didn't want to sound mean, but it came out that way.

"Of course not! Look", she sighed, "we would both wake up one morning in bed wondering what the hell we did. If its meant to be, then it'll happen on its own. I'm a firm believer of that"

"And I'm a firm believer of extreme sports but I wouldn't let our child do anything insane"

"Good to know, Tanto" She teased sarcastically.

"You know what I mean, Teresa. Look, I've never loved someone like I do you… that's gotta mean something"

"It means that you're a 19 year old guy who's confused about having a baby. Of course you love me; I'm the mother of your child. It'll be like that. I love you too; you're the father of my child. But we had one date, slept together once, and it was one mistake. This baby won't be a mistake but if we got married, everything would change." Teresa rubbed her temples; she didn't know any better way to put it.

"I'm not confused; I know what my heart feels," he said, lifting her hand and placing it on his heart "Do you feel that?"

"Y…Yes" Teresa hesitated with her answer; she didn't want to make something more than it already had to be.

"This beats for you; for you and this baby. You and our baby is all this thinks about."

Teresa was taken aback. She inhaled, getting a whiff of his cologne; god he smelled so good. "Why do you have to say things like that?" She said, fear painted across her face.

"Because I believe in always telling the truth," He replied. "Now, once again," He got down on one knee, "Teresa Goren, will you marry me?"

"I-" She began.


	6. Father and Daughter

_Disclaimer: And yet, I still don't own. Sorry guys!_

_--_

"I won't marry you, stop asking" Teresa said sternly. Lucas looked as if a knife had just been shoved in his heart. Why couldn't this girl, the mother of his child, bring herself to love him? What was wrong with him? Their day ended fairly quickly after that, and Teresa left without as much as a goodbye.

--

Teresa walked tiredly into the apartment on the fifth floor where her Uncle lived. It was a nice apartment; small, but nice.

"Uncle Bobby?" She called out? She saw him briefly at the picnic that day and wondered if he was even home yet; what a stupid question, of course he was. He never stayed around that many people for too long. He couldn't stand to. And people couldn't put up with him that long.

"In here," he called back to her from the computer. He'd become accustomed to the computer and its entirety, having spent many a night working on it, trying to figure out the answers to some of the clues and evidence he and Alex had obtained throughout their cases.

"Whatcha' lookin' up?" Teresa stood behind him, wiping her freshly wet hands on her shirt.

"Just some stuff about babies" He'd been more excited about the arrival of the baby now that it'd gotten so much closer. "It says here that if you hold a string over your stomach, it'll tell you the sex of the baby. If it sways back and forth only, it's a boy. If it sways back, forth, side to side, it's going to be a girl."

"Hmm, maybe that's because we can't make up our minds" Teresa rolled her eyes. "And I thought I told you I didn't want to know the sex of the baby"

"Yeah but you're aunt and I do. Can't you just lie on the couch? I know I've got some string around here somewhere," He said, rummaging through the messy pile of office supplies and paperwork on his desk.

"No I will not!" Teresa swatted at his hand; "I'm not some lab rat, ya know"

"I never said you were; but these home myths usually work the best. At least your aunt and I would know what we were planning for"

"Yes, but when could you two ever keep a secret?" Teresa eyed him.

"Umm. Yeah, nevermind" Bobby went back to his computer and back to the search engine. This time he typed in 'How to care for a baby'. He really was into this.

"Uncle Bobby, you'll be just fine, trust me. Besides, for the hardest months of his life after birth, this baby is going to need me and I'm just going to need you guys there to support me"

"Exactly; I need to be prepared" He said, pressing the print button on the list of facts and suggestions.

Teresa sighed and rubbed her temples; she could feel a migraine coming on quickly. "Alright, what do you want for dinner?" She usually came over at least once or twice a week to make sure that he had a good, home-cooked meal; the other nights, Alex sent over a plate or brought him one the next day at work.

"Umm, how about spaghetti and meatballs?"

"We had that the other night; how about steak, mashed potatoes, and corn?"

Bobby sighed, defeated. "Alright, but make sure you put extra butter on the corn"

"Didn't you hear a word the doctor said on your last visit? Your cholesterol is sky high." She shook her head. "Nope, no way. Butter-free corn tonight."

"Just a little" Bobby begged.

"That's what you think" She mumbled. "None. At all." Teresa said firmly. "And I don't want to hear another word about it."

"Fine but it isn't my fault if you don't like the corn."

"Oh, I'll like the corn just fine. I'm pregnant, remember? I like strange-tasting food"

'Damn,' he thought, 'she got me there.' He sighed dejectedly again, and moved over to the couch. Using the remote, he flipped on the big, 48" TV. "What do you want to watch tonight?" He said, reading her off a list of things that were coming on her favorite channels.

"How about that lifetime movie?" She suggested; she _always_ suggested lifetime. And even though Bobby hated that channel with a passion, he gave in, as always, without an argument. It was their night together, their tradition, and as much as he hated the movies she watched, he loved her.

"Alright; I'll put it on" Bobby said, flipping to the channel and then turning the TV so as to face it towards the kitchen so she could see it while she cooked.

"So what's new, sweetie?" He tried to face her, but she was chopping onions to throw over the steak.

"Nothing too much; I have a doctor's appointment to go to tomorrow, do you want to come?"

Bobby sat up, excited. "Sure." He said enthusiastically. He loved going to her appointments, no matter how awkward 'that' kind of doctor made him feel. There were always little plastic structures of woman's parts or a cervix, or a uterus with a baby in it; it made him queasy, though he wouldn't admit it. Robert Goren, Detective of Major Case squad, Mr. "I poke dead people all day", but queasy at the sight of a plastic uterus? Hah! He hated to think of the torture he'd get from his co-workers, especially Mike Logan.

"Alright; the appointments for noon, so be ready by at least 11:00 am. I want to try to get to the office early so maybe they'll see me a little earlier."

Bobby nodded in understanding; who in their right mind wanted to stay at a doctor's office any longer than they had to?

"So umm, how's your aunt been lately?" He had seen her earlier that day, but that's not what he meant. He meant emotionally, physically, entirely, _personally._

"Aunt Alex is doing just fine" Teresa said, stabbing gently at the cooking steak. "And you know, I don't understand why you don't just ask her out"

"I can think of a few good reasons" Bobby began, "She's married"

"She's widowed" Teresa interrupted to correct him.

"She's still in love with him though; she wouldn't want someone like me after having someone like him"

"What is 'someone like you' and 'someone like him'? Because I'd really love to know the difference. You're just as wonderful as he was, and that's from a niece's point of view" She raised her eyebrows, as if that was supposed to enhance things.

"Well there are fraternization policies from work" He challenged.

"What you do at work is what you do at work. What you do outside of it, well that's between you and her" Teresa commented; she never understood to the full extent, the fraternization policies between law enforcement workers. "Besides, if things get too hard, you guys are smart enough to put a stop to it, or change partners"

"But I don't want a new partner, I want her" Bobby said.

"For work or for life?" Teresa stopped cutting the fat off a piece of meat and looked her uncle in the eyes.

"Both," he finally admitted.

"Then you should go for it. Besides, you shouldn't think about the 'what if's; only the 'what is'" Teresa lectured. "And what is, right now, is that you love her. Right or wrong?"

"Right. Wrong. Both." He couldn't make up his mind if he should be telling her the truth or not.

"Uncle Bobby…." She led on.

"Alright; alright, you're right. I love her"

'Then what's stopping you from making a move? You know, she likes you too"

"Likes me, or likes, likes me?" Bobby's eyes looked up at her and twinkled.

She laughed; she couldn't believe how childishly cute he sounded right there. "She likes, likes you."

"How do you know?" He raised his eyebrows up at her, questionably.

"Because I know you and her like I know the back of my hand. I know how she feels about you just like I know how you feel about her. There's no hiding the chemistry, dude."

"Well…maybe then" He said, and then switched the subject. "So how's the baby doing tonight?"

"Kicking like crazy; I think I have the next Beckham in here or something"

"Good; I'll finally be secure in my old age" He winked at her, and then got serious.

"Here you go" Teresa said, finally done with dinner. She set the plate in his lap, and for the first time, the two ate in silence, just watching the movie.

When they were done, Teresa instructed him to leave the plates; she'd take care of them later. She curled up beside him and he draped the afghan that his mother had made around the both of them.

"So how are _you_ doing?" He asked, looking down at her, though he couldn't see her face, just the top of her brown-haired head.

"I'm doing okay, I guess."

"You guess?" Bobby lifted her chin to him.

"Lucas proposed again today" Teresa finally said.

"And?" Bobby waited for her answer.

"And I said no."

"Why, I thought you loved him" He narrowed his glance at her.

"I do. That's the confusing part" Teresa said and yawned, ending the conversation. She closed her eyes slowly; she'd slept a lot more since getting pregnant. Bobby just sat there, stroking her hair until around 2 am, when he too, finally fell asleep.


	7. Father and Son

_Disclaimer: Nope, sure don't own it yet. Let me know if Dick Wolf wants to sell…. I could stand the money… _

_Note: Sorry this hasn't been updated in a while, and is going to be so short; it'll be filler for right now. There's probably like two chapters left and then I might do a sequel. Let me know what you guys think. Oh and don't forget to check out my polls for these next to chapters. The sex of the baby and the name is up to you guys! Lets see who'll win!_

_5 months pass_

Teresa groaned and rolled over; the sun was shining annoyingly in her eyes, the biggest mistake it could ever make. At nine months pregnant, she was not one to annoy. Hormones flooded her tiny body, causing her to be the biggest mess ever. She sighed, taking the pillow off her face. "Fine!" She shouted, as if it could hear. "I'm awake, alright?! Are you friggen happy?" She threw one leg over the edge of the bed, and then the other, and then stood up altogether.

"Teresa, honey, breakfast is on the table. I have to get going. Oh by the way, Lucas called. I think he wants to see you for lunch today so you guys can do some last minute shopping before the baby gets here"

"I don't want to shop" She said, sniffing at the eggs and then pushing them aside. Alex smiled; when she was pregnant with her nephew she hated eggs too.

"I thought that might happen; there's some bacon on the stove"

Teresa's eyes sparkled at the thought of bacon; mm greasy, salty, crispy bacon! Even the baby was excited on the thought of bacon. It took but two seconds for her to waddle into the kitchen and hoard what was left on the stove. Alex grinned and shook her head, walking out the door.

"Love you!" Teresa shouted her mouth full of bacon.

---

"Stupid phone" Teresa muttered, uncovering herself from the blankets on the couch; she'd finally fallen back to sleep in the only room in the house that was dark enough to actually sleep.

"What?" She hissed into the phone.

"Hey it's me" Lucas' deep voice whispered from the other end.

"What do you want? The baby and I were sleeping" A pout could be heard through her words, and it put a smile on Lucas' face; he fell more in love with her each time he spoke to her.

"Sweetie, we need to go to the mall; there's still some last minute shopping to do before the baby gets here. I want to be well prepared; besides, I need your advice on some things for the baby's nursery at my place"

She huffed and abruptly stood. "Pick me up in an hour, I'll be ready" She clicked the off button on the phone and threw it onto the comfort of the couch.

---

"Nothing fits!" Finding clothes for a woman nine months pregnant was probably the hardest task, outside of like, construction. Clothes flew from each side of Teresa, until she finally settled on a deep red maternity top and an old pair of her uncle's pants.

The doorbell rang exactly one hour from the end of their phone call, and Lucas stood outside, a smile on his face and a bouquet of red roses in his hand. Teresa opened the door, and instead of taking the roses, simply walked back into the kitchen.

"Well hello to you too" Lucas kissed the top of her head; she hated that, and he knew it, but did he care? No. He found an empty vase on the counter, picked it up, put some water in it and then neatly organized the roses. All that was left was to put them by some sun.

"Where can I put these?" He looked over at Teresa, waiting patiently for an answer.

"Wherever you want" She said, ripping apart a piece of cheese and shoving it into her mouth. She was always hungry; in fact, if she hadn't been to the doctor recently, she'd have sworn she was having an elephant, not a baby.

"Well lets get this show on the road" Instead of putting the package of cheese back where it belonged, she shoved some ice into a lunch box and put the cheese on the ice to keep it fresh.

Lucas' eyebrows curled when he saw what she was doing. "What are you doing?" He walked over, smiling some.

"I'm packing my lunch" She replied, zipping up the lunch box. Lucas laughed and took it from her.

"I'll buy us lunch today at the mall"

"What if I don't like anything at the mall?" She raised her eyebrows, challenging his every move today.

"You did last time we were at the mall" He pointed out.

"That was then, this is now."

"That was two weeks ago" Lucas rolled his eyes.

"Exactly; that was two weeks ago. I might not like that now."

"Sweetie, if you liked it then, I'm sure you'll like it now."

Tears streamed down Teresa's eyes, hormones getting the best of her- and Lucas. He sighed; when did the hormones stop?!

"Alright; we'll bring the cheese and you eat it if you don't like what they have at the mall" He gave in, although he knew it wasn't healthy for her or the baby.

"Thank-you!" She said, grabbing the cheese and wiping the tears from her eyes; it'd all been part of her little trick, and he knew then and there that she'd forever wear the pants in their relationship-but then again, she was an Eames woman-they always did.

She walked out the door, leaving it open for him to follow shortly behind her. "Don't forget to lock it" she said, starting on the stairs.

"Got it" He replied, waving goodbye to Paulie the bird and stepping out the door; at the rate he was going, that bird would soon be his only friend on this end of the line. The bird squawked, then turned around, refusing to face him. "Or I could be wrong about the bird" he thought to himself.

---

The mall was packed with all sorts of people; all sorts of people which bothered Teresa. She hated people more than ever; she hated the way they all hovered around her, the way some would ask to touch her belly, the way they smelled, the way they looked- she simply hated them.

"So I was thinking we hit up the baby gap first and then maybe jamboree"

"Whatever you want" Teresa said, shoving herself closer to Lucas and away from everyone else.

--

Teresa bit down on her warm chicken sandwich from Chick- Filet, enjoying every bit of it. Lucas smiled beside her, and sneakily took the lunchbox full of cheese and tossed it in the garbage beside him.

"Oh…" Teresa winced and grabbed her stomach.

"What?" Lucas looked over at her, concerned something might be wrong.

"Nothing; probably just some gas." But when the pain came again, and again after that, Teresa knew it wasn't gas. "We gotta get to the hospital"

"Is everything okay?" Lucas kneeled beside her, trying to see if he could figure out what might be wrong.

"I'm in labor you baboon!"

--

Waiting; why was that always the hard part? Why didn't he go into the delivery room? That's right, the doctor had kicked him out- there were complications, and he needed space to work with.

Lucas paced the floor; so much that smoke was coming from beneath his sneakers.

"Son, sit down" Elliot patted the spot next to him, where Olivia had once sat; she left to get them all some coffee though, and to give Elliot a little time to have some man-to-man time alone with their nephew.

"What if they need me?"

"Then you stand right back up. It only takes a split second to stand"

Lucas sighed; his uncle was right, he was being ridiculous. He sat down next to him, and for a few very short minutes, they were quiet.

"So… you excited?" Elliot asked, clasping his hands together.

"Yeah… no… yes. I mean I am, but I'm more nervous than I am excited"

"That's reasonable. When Kathy and I first had Kathleen, I was a wreck," a smile crossed his face as he thought back to that night; "I actually left Kathy at the house when I drove to the hospital. They had to send an ambulance for her, I was just too nervous to drive"

Lucas laughed. "Seriously?"

Elliot nodded, the smile never leaving his face.

"That's crazy; at least I was able to drive" Lucas looked at the square tiles on the ground, fixating on something to keep his mind occupied.

"Exactly" Elliot said, setting his hand on his nephew's shoulder. "You're going to make an awesome dad; and don't forget, you have your aunt and I behind you 100. This baby will know it's loved no matter what"

Lucas smiled, "Thanks…. Dad"

"No problem… Son."

A tall, slightly chunky nurse in purple scrubs walked out and stepped before Lucas. "Mr. Stabler, you have a baby-"

_Remember guys, It's your choice! Let the games begin! _


End file.
